Longest Suspension in New Zealand Parliamentary History
MPs Protest Bill by Performing Haka in the Chamber
The New Zealand Parliament has imposed the longest suspension in its history on three members of parliament who staged a haka protest?a traditional Maori warrior dance?inside the chamber in opposition to a parliamentary decision.
According to the New Zealand Herald and other sources on June 6, the New Zealand Parliament on the previous day suspended Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, both members of the Te Pati Maori party, for 21 days. Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, also of the same party, was suspended for 7 days. This marks the longest suspension in the 171-year history of the New Zealand Parliament; previously, the longest suspension had been 3 days.
In November last year, Member of Parliament Hana Rawiti Maipi Clark from New Zealand opposed the Waitangi Treaty Amendment Bill by tearing the bill and performing the haka. Photo by AP Yonhap News
The disciplinary action was taken because, in November last year, these members performed the traditional Maori war dance, the haka, in Parliament. At that time, they performed the haka to protest the Waitangi Treaty Amendment Bill, which sought to revise the 1840 treaty between Britain and the Maori. The haka is a dance traditionally performed by Maori warriors before going into battle to build morale. It is characterized by wide-eyed stares, tongue protrusions, and forceful stomping to intimidate opponents.
The Waitangi Treaty, regarded as New Zealand's founding document, stipulates that while the British Empire governs the Maori, it recognizes Maori rights to various resources?such as land, forests, fisheries, and culture?collectively referred to as 'taonga' (treasures). However, the ACT Party, a coalition partner, argued that the Waitangi Treaty grants special rights solely to the Maori and proposed an amendment to extend these rights to all New Zealanders. Although the amendment bill did not pass Parliament, the three members drew attention by performing the haka and tearing up the bill in the chamber. Videos of their haka protest have been viewed hundreds of millions of times online, and haka performances in support of them have continued outside Parliament as well.
All ruling party members voted in favor of the disciplinary action against the three MPs, while all opposition members voted against it. Judith Collins, chair of the New Zealand Parliament's disciplinary committee, stated that their actions were "excessive, disruptive to parliamentary proceedings, and potentially intimidating." However, the three suspended members argued that "we received harsher punishment because we are Maori." The Te Pati Maori party condemned the disciplinary decision as "the harshest punishment in history," and criticized it as "an attempt by colonial powers to suppress indigenous people who resist."
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